Scam targets Ecuador natives

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal wants Ecuadorian immigrants to be aware of a green card scam that has cheated their countrymen out of thousands of dollars.

Blumenthal issued an urgent warning Monday, saying a woman has approached many Ecuadorians, claiming she can help them get green cards, which allow holders to live and work legally in the United States.
The woman claims to have connections with the

U.S. Bureau
of Citizenship and
Immigration Services
. She takes their money, but they never get their green card, Blumenthal said.
Danbury police said they haven't received reports of this particular scam in the city, but they wouldn't be surprised if it has happened here.
"It wouldn't surprise me if somebody solicited many of the undocumented aliens living in Danbury," Capt.

Arthur Sullo
said.
Sullo said an immigrant living here illegally would be unlikely to report being scammed to police for fear of his immigration status being exposed.
Or, "they don't report it because they feel stupid for being taken for the amount of money they paid for the document," Sullo said.
Blumenthal pointed out in one case the woman told an Ecuadorian man it would cost him about $24,000 to get a green card, but she could get him a better price of $7,500 if he referred her to others looking for green cards. The attorney general said he suspects this was an "apparent attempt to establish a pyramid of victims."
In this case, the victim paid $1,000 at first and then $2,500. The victim didn't make the final payment because he became suspicious, the attorney general said.
"This scheme is deliberately designed to victimize people most reluctant to report the illegalities," Blumenthal said.
Sullo said in New York City there are "all kinds of scams involving immigrants and green cards."
There are people who "sell false Social Security cards, false green cards, false this, false that," Sullo said, adding the documents are made on computers with good scanning equipment.
In some cases, the immigrant is well aware he is purchasing a fake, Sullo said.
"Some of them know they are buying a fake and they are buying it for purposes of employment," Sullo said, referring to fake Social Security cards.